


“It’s not SELF pity”

by ChocolateAndRedbull



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Hurt Harley Keener, Hurt Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Sick Character, Sick Harley Keener, Sick Peter, Sick Peter Parker, Sickfic, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, puke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26101501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateAndRedbull/pseuds/ChocolateAndRedbull
Summary: Tony’s lab is quiet.Too quiet to have two teenage science prodigies working in it.Tony’s not cut out for this.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 166





	“It’s not SELF pity”

**Author's Note:**

> I know I already posted this with different characters but it flopped so here you go

Something was wrong.

Tony couldn't put his finger on it, but something was different, off, about the lab. It seemed like something was missing. He frowned as he turned back to his tablet, trying and failing to concentrate on his work.

It wasn't until he heard a phone buzz that it hit him.

There was no constant hum of Peter and Harley bickering quietly from either side of him. 

It was quiet.

Too quiet for his liking.

He looked over to Harley, who was sat sideways in his chair, laptop open in his lap, leaning against the wall. His eyes were tired, face pale and head resting against the wall.

Tony turned again to look at Peter, who was curled around his notebook, head resting on his arm. From what he could see, Peter was just as pale and tired looking as Harley was.

There was no doubt about it. They were sick. Probably caught it from each other, Tony thought.

Peter’s aunt had been out of town for the past week on a work trip, and by the looks of it she wouldn't be home any time soon. Peter had been staying with Tony and Harley. Peter told them it was for the company but Tony had a feeling that he had just lost his keys. Come to think of it, it had been a few days since Peter had been seen with his backpack. 

He wasn’t going to question it.

Tony was dragged away from his thoughts by Peter shifting uncomfortably in his seat, wrapping an arm around his stomach and swallowing harshly. Tony could have sworn that he heard his stomach gurgle.

"Harley? What were the readings from those scans?” Bruce’s voice rang out from across the lab.

Harley’s eyes shot open and Tony could have sworn that he was going to be sick right there and then. But thankfully he pulled himself back and cleared his throat.

"Um... well nothing out of the ordinary for the first one, but the second...”   
Harley’s voice was rough and hoarse.  
He was constantly interrupting himself with a swallow or a deep breath. When he finished, his eyes slid shut and he rested his head against the wall, an arm snaking around his abdomen.

Tony was just about to ask him if he was okay when he heard Peter’s breathing speed up and his stomach gurgled warningly.

"Pete,” Tony said under his breath, not wanting to draw too much attention. "Do you need to leave?"

Tony watched as Peter froze, trying to keep the contents of his stomach inside of him long enough to reply. Peter gave up on trying to speak while his stomach flipped and he gave a small nod.

Tony stood up quickly, chair scraping against the floor catching the attention of everyone in the lab, including Harley, whose eyes opened tiredly to look at his mentor and friend.

"Everything alright, Tony?" Bruce looked up from his screen in surprise.

"I’m going to take Pete to Medical," Tony paused, "And Harley too."

Harley looked up at him through his sweaty hair.

"What? No, I'm fine,” Harley said unconvincingly. 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah? What did we have for dinner last night?" he smirked, watching him turn green at the thoughts of the Chinese food he had devoured.

"Yeah, okay, let's go to Medical," he said, swallowing thickly.

Tony put his arms around Peter’s shoulders and gently but firmly hauled him upwards, not wanting to jar his stomach. Harley followed slowly as Tony led Peter from the lab.

Once in the hallway, Peter’s hand slid up to cover his mouth, eyes squeezing shut.

"Pete? Pete, buddy, do you need to go to the bathroom? Or can you make it downstairs?”

Peter jerked forward as his stomach cramped painfully.

"Pete, talk to me, bathroom or medical?"

"Bathroom," Peter mumbled, voice muffled behind his hand. Tony winced at the amount of heat radiating from him as he placed his hands on his shoulders and directed him towards the bathroom.

Once through the door, Peter stopped as vomit spilled from between his fingers, splashing onto the tiled floor. He moaned as his stomach cramped in warning and Tony quickly pushed him into a stall before he was sick again.

Tony was almost afraid to turn around and face Harley, knowing what vomit did to him on a good day. Harley was leaning against a sink, staring at his own reflection, breathing shallowly. He knew he was trying not to listen to the retches of the boy in the stall.

"Do you want me to take you downstairs now? Or can you wait for Pete?" Tony asked quietly, despite knowing that Harley wouldn't make it to Medical.

"I can wait..." Harley said, wincing as Peter continued to be sick behind them. "I'm fi-" he cut himself off with a gag. Both men froze, knowing what was to come but each praying it wouldn't.

"Don't fight it," Tony said quietly, "Just get it over with and you can both go lay down."

Harley stood, frozen in the quiet room until Peter retched again and he bolted for the stall next to him. Tony sighed as he locked the door and pulled out his phone to let Medical know what was happening.  
——  
Tony looked through the glass wall of the Medical room towards his two interns, Peter curled up on a bed and Harley hunched forward as a doctor took his temperature.

Tony winced as Peter rubbed at his vomit covered sleeve and took note that he should have made him take off his hoodie before letting him be examined.

When Tony got the nod to take both of the boys upstairs, he bundled them both into the elevator and kept a comforting hand around each of their shoulders. 

When the elevator opened, Harley quickly scrambled from where he was leaning against Tony to the bathroom down the hall.

Tony looked down and saw that Peter was almost asleep, head resting against Tony’s chest, looking as if he hadn't slept in weeks. Tony frowned. With Peter Parker you could never be sure.

Tony quietly gave the boy a squeeze. “Pete? C’mon, buddy, time to move...”  
Peter groaned as he slowly took a step forward, letting Tony lead him in lieu of opening his eyes. Tony guided him inside and gently helped him lay down on one of the large sofas in the living room. He smiled softly when Peter’s eyes fluttered open.

"Mr Stark?" he mumbled, his eyes quickly sliding shut one more as he moved to find a comfortable position.

"Yeah, kid?" Tony called softly, dragging the large blanket from the back of the couch down to tuck around him.

"Mr Stark... I don't feel good,” Peter mumbled into the couch cushions.

Tony smirked. "I know, buddy, try and get some sleep.”

—— 

Having two sick teenage boys in his living room was not fun, Tony had decided. They both felt the need to do everything at the same time. When Peter woke up, Harley woke up, when Harley was sick, Peter was sick. This continued for two days. The only peace Tony got was when they were both asleep, however, that was when he had to catch up on the paperwork Pepper was constantly forwarding him. So, long story short, Tony was exhausted.

When Peter came back from the bathroom for only the second time that day, Tony felt like both boys could do with some nourishment that wasn't endless bottles of water and dry toast. He quickly put some soup on the cooker and made his way into the living room.

"Guys, get up and get dressed, dinner is in 15 minutes," Tony called, pulling the curtains open. He was immediately greeted by two loud groans.

"Come on, guys, you need something in your stomachs, even if you are just going to throw it up again." Tony finished his sentence by pulling the blankets off of both pyjama-clad boys.

"No, Tony," Harley whined. "We don't feel good," he mumbled, curling in on himself.

Peter shivered as Tony opened the window, trying to lose the smell of vomit from the room.

"I know you guys feel like hell, but you're not going to get better sitting in here, wearing the same stinking pyjamas and wallowing in your own self pity," Tony said standing between both boys.

"It's not self pity," Harley mumbled. "I'm pitying Peter and he's pitying me."

Tony sighed. "Is that right, Pete?"

Peter nodded through chattering teeth.

"I see,” Tony smirked. "If you two aren't up, dressed and in the kitchen in 15 minutes or less, I'm getting the water bucket.”

Harley scoffed. "You wouldn't."

Tony raised an eyebrow.  
——

Both Peter and Harley sat at the kitchen table in fresh clothes, pulling their wet hair from their eyes as Tony ladled soup into three bowls.

"Now, isn't this nice?" Tony grinned, laughing as the shivering teenagers glared at him.


End file.
